This invention is related to the field of digital cinema, and more particularly to the preparation, scheduling and use of digitized motion picture information in a multi-theater environment.
Today, motion picturesxe2x80x94from feature films, to film based commercialsxe2x80x94are distributed and exhibited largely in the form of film. Studios produce film masters, and distributors produce film copies that are then distributed to theatres for exhibition. In the theatre, especially multi-screen xe2x80x98cineplexesxe2x80x99, incoming films need to be scheduled for exhibition. Specifically, the theatre home office and the theatre manager determine the auditorium and show times for a particular film. A schedule is compiled, usually describing the theatre exhibition plan for 1-2 weeks, or until an new feature is acquired. Executing a schedule typically entails moving huge rolls of film from one projector station to another station; preparing the new feature showing by splicing separate reels of film together, adding film trailers and xe2x80x98rolling advertisementsxe2x80x99 to the beginning. Overall, it is a labor intensive process.
There have been attempts in the prior art to automate the control of movie display electronics in a film cinema system. For instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,384,893 B1, which is entitled xe2x80x9cCinema Networking Systemxe2x80x9d and was issued May 7, 2002, such a system includes a cinema controller which receives as input, information regarding start times of movies and content of corresponding film reels. The information can be input a variety of ways. In one embodiment, the information is manually entered into a file or database for subsequent reference. The publication shows (FIG. 4) an entry form that may be displayed. In this embodiment, an operator enters, either via a keyboard and/or by using a cursor control device, a description of the content of the film reels including the duration and film format of each segment. In addition, a film identifier, such as the title, is supplied along with the times it is to be played in a particular projection room. Other embodiments are also contemplated. For example, the information may be received or downloaded from a remote centralized location. Alternately, the information may be retrievable from a web site maintained to contain such information.
Over the last few years, the digitization of film has become very common for the purpose of integrating computer generated special effects in scene content. Digitized content turns out be much easier to handle, from the point of view of making copies, storing, distributing, and xe2x80x98touching upxe2x80x99. A natural out-growth of digital special effects work is the attempt to carry the digitized content through postproduction, onto distribution and exhibition. Such a workflow is described in general as xe2x80x98digital cinemaxe2x80x99. Recent technological advances in storage, networking and projection equipment are making digital cinema a genuine possibility.
As described by S. A. Morley, in xe2x80x9cMaking Digital Cinema Actually Happenxe2x80x94What it Takes and Who""s Going to Do Itxe2x80x9d, SMPTE 140th Technical Conference, Pasadena, Calif., Oct. 31, 1998, digital cinema provides an ability to extend presentation capabilities beyond just showing movies. More specifically, a simple graphical computer interface can make screen scheduling easy, accurate and flexible for the theatre operator. Although no specific interface is described, Morley opines that by a simple drag-and-drop action on a PC in a theater manager""s office, a movie can be scheduled to show at a certain time in a given auditorium and with a defined set of trailers and promotions, which can be changed at each show time.
Avica Technology Corp. markets a Digital Cinema Manager product that allows monitoring and control of storage server parameters by a theatre manager or engineering supervisor in a digital cinema environment. Security setting, playlist creation, content load-in and system maintenance functions can be accessed from local or network connections. Multiple servers can be monitored and controlled from a single terminal. Conversely, multiple management terminals may access an individual server. The user interface provides creation of multi-event playlists including features, trailers and promotions, and timeline based playlist management for a single auditorium at a time.
Whether automating the scheduling of film cinema or digital cinema systems, the prior art has come up short in providing a user-friendly interface, particularly in a multi-screen cineplex environment. What is therefore needed is an approach that leverages the flexibility provided by digital cinema without adding unnecessary complexity in the scheduling task.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above. Briefly summarized, according to one aspect of the present invention, a method is described for scheduling a playlist from digital content supplied to a server in a multi-screen digital cinema theater, where the playlist includes components of the content stored in the server and represents a digital entity that is subsequently projected in the digital cinema theater. The method includes the steps of: (a) generating and displaying a table of playlists currently available for scheduling, each playlist displayed along with its run time; (b) generating and displaying a schedule table showing a schedule view for each screen as an elongated timeline bar representing a time dimension, wherein the elongated timeline bars for a plurality of the screens are arranged one adjacent the other relative to a displayed time axis to provide an overall perspective of the schedules for the screens of the theater; (c) selecting a playlist from the table of playlists and specifying a scheduled start time and a selected screen; and (d) updating the schedule table by inserting the selected playlist as an elongated element into the elongated timeline bar for the selected screen, wherein the element starts at the scheduled start time and has a time dimension corresponding to the run time of the selected playlist, whereby the updated schedule table is used to schedule the selected playlist for the selected screen.
In a further aspect of the invention, a digital cinema system is described for exhibiting digital content supplied in a coded form to a central content management server in a multi-screen digital cinema theatre having a plurality of auditoriums. The digital cinema system includes: a plurality of digital projectors for projecting digital content in the plurality of auditoriums, each projector including a decoder for decoding the digital content into a device-dependent signal for projection; a plurality of content player servers, each one devoted to a respective digital projector; and a local area network linking the content player servers to the central content management server and to the digital projectors, whereby each digital projector is a network-enabled device that can communicate with any of the content player servers to display digital content. In still a further aspect, the digital cinema system includes a cinema operating system for generating and scheduling playlists, each playlist including components of the content stored in the content management server and representing a digital entity that is subsequently projected in the digital cinema.
By counting the creating of playlists as a precursor to scheduling, there is the advantage that the need to physically handle, splice and set up large lengths of film is obviated.
These and other aspects, objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood and appreciated from a review of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and appended claims, and by reference to the accompanying drawings.